Certification as a Bird City requires accomplishment of at least 19 actions, 10 mandatory actions required for all applicants, and at least 9 custom actions that the Bird City Kerrville Task Force has selected from a menu of 64 possible additional actions.
Ϯ means that credit will be given even if accomplished, or first implemented any time before the application year. Credit for this criteria is only applied to the application year, not future certification years.
** means that evaluative metrics are suggested. Communities should ID their own metrics that can help evaluate the success of each activity (i.e., # acres, # people engaged, # of native plants installed, etc.)
“Application year” or “year of action” means 18 months from January 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024. The renewal years would be calendar years (Jan 1 – December 31) for 2025, 2026, 2027.
| Category 1 (Habitat) | ||
| 1.1 | Promote best management of community habitat | |
| Mandatory (1 of 10) | 1.1.7 | Community forms/maintains a collaborative body that supports the application development and management of their Bird City enrollment. Ϯ Attach a contact list of your collaborative body with affiliations. From Special Instructions: Recommend the following partners be included in your Collaborative Body if available to provide a diverse array of members with various skills and knowledge: local city and county parks department, ecologist/biologist, state parks, local wildlife management areas, water management organization, and a variety of local organizations connected with the community that meet 2- 4x/year. |
| 1.3 | Promote native plants | |
| Mandatory (2 of 10) | 1.3.1 | Promote the use of native plants in landscaping through community websites, social media, public events and refer the public to the National Audubon Society’s PLANTS FOR BIRDS program and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s native plant database. ** From Special Instructions: Must describe your outreach efforts, link the requested information on your main website, and periodically post information on available social media. Suggest offering programs at least in spring and fall each year to inform about native plants appropriate to your region through presentations, classes, workshops, trainings, workdays, and/or bioblitzes. Suggest offering native plant lists for your city & other information in handouts, (water) bill inserts, rack cards, etc. Suggest reaching at least 10% of businesses and 10% of residents about using native plants per year. |
| (1 of 3 in Habitat Category) | 1.3.2 | Develop and adopt a community approved list of only native tree and shrub species recommended for use by all new developments (business and sub-division developers). Ϯ From Special Instructions: Adopting means that your city mandates new developments use the approved list of native species. Must provide a copy of the recommended adopted plant list and describe how it is being mandated. Recommended plant list must be given to your city’s Development Services Department, if applicable, to post on their website or distributed to businesses & developers in another manner. A “community approved” list means it is supported by local natural resource partners (i.e., TPWD, Audubon, NPSOT, city staff, and/or other appropriate entities). Suggest offering the list to local HOA groups wanting to enhance their public areas/greenspaces. |
| (2 of 3 in Habitat Category | 1.3.7 | Have at least one community-wide native plant sale with high emphasis on native plants (at least 75% native plants available). ** From Special Instructions: Must offer native plants appropriate for your region. Suggest offering native plant lists and resources (ie, National Audubon Society’s ‘Plants for Birds’ program and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s website, etc.) to attendees. |
| 1.4 | Control Invasive Plants | |
| Mandatory (3 of 10) | 1.4.1 | Provide and promote information on the importance of controlling invasive species (both plant and animal). From Special Instructions: Must describe your outreach efforts, link the requested information on your main website, and periodically post information on available social media. Suggest offering information in programs, classes, events, newsletters, bill inserts, handouts, etc. Suggest reaching at least 10% of businesses and 10% of residents about controlling invasive species per year. |
| (3 of 3 in Habitat Category) | 1.4.2 | Implement an active invasive plant species removal program on public lands, From Special Instructions: Must justify sites and frequency of workdays. Suggest seeking volunteers from local natural resource organizations such as: TX Master Naturalist Program, Native Plant Society of TX chapter, and/or local natural area Friend’s Group. |
| Category 2, Threats to Birds | ||
| 2.1 | Address disturbance by harmful species | |
| Mandatory (4 of 10) | 2.1.1 | Promote the American Bird Conservancy’s CATS INDOORS program through education/outreach to residents. From Special Instructions: Must describe your outreach efforts, link the requested program on your main website, and periodically post information on available social media. Must provide literature at city-owned animal shelters and with local veterinarians to pass out to their clients. Suggest having Animal Control post on their website, posting public signage in your community to address the issue, and/or offering information in programs, classes, events, newsletters, bill inserts, handouts, etc. Suggest reaching at least 10% of residents about the Cats Indoor program per year. |
| (1 of 3 of Threats Category) | 2.1.3 | Active program to remove invasive or harmful animal species, including harmful or invasive bird species, deer, and/or wild pigs. From Special Instructions: Must describe actions taken to address and remove invasive animal species in the community, including how, when, and where these animals are being eliminated. |
| (2 of 3 of Threats Category) | 2.1.7 | Prohibit feeding of ducks on community-managed properties to decrease domestic disease transfer to migrating waterfowl. From Special Instructions: Must discourage duck feeding through signage that states “no duck feeding allowed” at site and informs public of the benefits of not feeding wildlife. An ordinance passed by city would be preferred. |
| 2.2 | Address collisions with glass | |
| Mandatory (5 of 10) | 2.2.1 | Provide businesses and residents with education/outreach and/or a communications campaign about reducing bird collisions with buildings. From Special Instructions: Must describe your outreach efforts, link the requested information on your main website, and periodically post information on available social media. Suggest posting public signage in your community to address the issue, and/or offering information in programs, classes, events, newsletters, bill inserts, handouts, etc. Suggest reaching at least 10% of businesses and 10% of residents about reducing bird collisions with buildings per year. |
| (3 of 3 in Threats Category) | 2.2.2 | Educate building owners and architecture community about Bird-Friendly Buildings best design practices and the conservation value of reduction collisions. From Special Instructions: Must describe process taken to inform businesses and architects about Bird-Friendly Building designs and provide copy/link to design practices. Suggest contacting your city’s American Institute of Architects chapter, Development Services Department, Zoning Department, local city planner, and Better Business Bureau for guidance in reaching intended audience. |
| (4 of 3 in Threats Category) | 2.2.3 | Provide best design guidelines about reducing bird collisions and impacts to businesses applying for new building permits. From Special Instructions: Must describe process taken to inform businesses applying for new building permits about reducing bird collisions and provide copy/link to design guidelines. Suggest contacting your city’s American Institute of Architects chapter, Development Services Department, Zoning Department, local city planner, and Better Business Bureau for guidance in reaching intended audience. |
| 2.3 | Address light pollution | |
| Mandatory (6 of 10) | 2.3.2 | Provide businesses and residents with education/outreach and/or a communications campaign about LIGHTS OUT TEXAS which includes dark sky lighting solutions. From Special Instructions: Must describe your outreach efforts, link the requested program on your main website, and periodically post information on available social media. Suggest posting public signage in your community to address the issue, and/or offering information in programs, classes, events, newsletters, bill inserts, handouts, etc. Suggest reaching at least 10% of businesses and 10% of residents about dark sky lighting solutions per year. |
| Category 3, Education & Engagement | ||
| 3.1 | Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day | |
| Mandatory (7 of 10) | 3.1.1 | Community creates one proclamation that recognizes World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) and holds or participates in a public event to celebrate WMBD on an annual basis. Ϯ From Special Instructions: Must provide a copy of the proclamation and describe the public event. Recommend adding the link to the World Migratory Bird Day in the Americas webpage (https://www.migratorybirdday.org/events/) to your main website and register your event. |
| 3.2 | Increase awareness of birds and their habitats | |
| (1 of 3 in Ed&E Category) | 3.2.1 | Implement an annual communications campaign about issues and actions related to Bird City Texas, creating Bird Friendly Communities, and the criteria that the city adopts to encourage community engagement and support. From Special Instructions: Must describe the communications campaign and indicate topics included. This action should highlight that your city is a certified city. |
| (2 of 3 in Ed&E Category) | 3.2.2 | Engage the public with on-going programs that are appropriate for children, youth, and/or families on environmental conservation topics. From Special Instructions: Must do at least 2 programs/year, but recommend one program per every 250,000 or less people (i.e., for a population of 2 million, a city should offer at least 8 programs/year). May include but is not limited to any of the following topics: climate change, energy efficiency, bird-safe buildings, environmental sustainability, single-use plastic dangers, recycling, bird migration, water & air conservation, etc. |
| Mandatory (8 of 10) | 3.2.4 | Include Noticeable information on a main page of a website of your choosing that would be visited often by residents and visitors (i.e., municipal tourism and/or Chamber of Commerce, Audubon, or Native Plant Society websites). From Special Instructions: Website must include the following information: local birding sites, lists of native birds, tips for landscaping for birds, Cats Indoors Program information, local educational resources, and birding events. If applicable, also share: birdrelated citizen science projects, and bird clubs. Must provide information on the main page or at the first level of a drop-down menu on the main page, but it cannot be any less visible. Suggest your partners link to your main website. [ADD ADDITIONAL WEBSITES TO LINK TO] |
| (3 of 3 in Ed&E Category) | 3.2.5 | Include a recurring (at minimum quarterly) native bird education themed section in a community newsletter, social media platform (i.e., Facebook, NextDoor, etc.) From Special Instructions: Must describe your efforts and share some forum examples. Suggested forums can include: newsletters, blogs, Facebook, Instagram, NextDoor, etc. |
| (4 of 3 in Ed&E Category) | 3.2.7 | Install bird watching amenities in public parks and/or trail systems, such as bird blinds, observation decks, interpretive signs, binocular loan out programs, and birding/trail guides. Ϯ From Special Instructions: Must provide at least one type of amenity per every 75 or less park/trail sites. A minimum of one amenity at one park/trail is required. Hardscapes/structures should follow ADA guidelines. |
| Mandatory (9 of 10) | 3.2.9 | Create and maintain a bird-friendly, native landscape for demonstration. The landscape must include at least 80% native plants on at least one highly visited community property. ** Ϯ From Special Instructions: Must have a minimum of 20 different labeled plant species within the demonstration site. Justify location and size of the garden. Recommend hardscapes/structures follow ADA guidelines. |
| 3.3 | Educate and engage all ages | |
| (4 of 3 in Ed &E Category) | 3.3.1 | Conduct a speaker or workshop series open to the public (minimum 3 events per year) with topics focusing on issues relating to birds, wildlife, habitat, environmental stewardship, etc. From Special Instructions: Must describe your efforts and share topics included in the series. It is okay to repeat speakers/topics as long as new audiences are attending. |
| 3.6 | Promote scientific research and monitoring | |
| (5 of 3 in Ed&E Category) | 3.6.1 | Initiate community participation in at least one community science program annually; Audubon Climate Watch, Christmas Bird Count, eBird, Globe at Night, Great Backyard Bird Count, Hummingbirds at Home, Invaders of Texas, Swifts Night Out, City Nature Challenge, Texas Nature Trackers. ** From Special Instructions: Must describe surveys being conducted within community. |
| 3.7 | Mobilize support/funding for community bird conservation | |
| Mandatory (10 of 10) | 3.7.1 | Community creates one officially-enacted resolution (proclamations not accepted) passed by their appropriate municipal council/board that recognizes and supports their community’s designation as a Bird City in Texas. The resolution much be passed every three years on the municipal council/board must provide a letter of support recognizing the past resolution. From Special Instructions: Must attach a copy of your community’s officially enacted resolution supporting your community’s designation as a Bird City in your application year. This must be a resolution, not a proclamation, that is voted on and passed by the appropriate municipal council/board. In recertification years, either a new resolution or a letter of support will be accepted. Recommend adding the resolution to your main website. |